Easel binder for pages reading on lines parallel with the binding



July 2, 1963 c. WIANDS ETAL EASEL BINDER FOR PAGES READING ON LINES PARALLEL WITH THE BINDING 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 l= 'u:.l.

Filed Oct. 11, 1961 Ticiifi.

PRINTED MATTER INVENTOR.

CLARENCE L.. wmrws ROBERT 0. (,LINE BY ROBERT G. R

r, T'ro NE July 2, 1963 c. L. WIANDS ETAL 3,096,102

EAsEL BINDER FOR PAGES READING ON LINES PARALLEL WITH THE BINDING Filed Oct. 11, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. CLARENCE L.WIANDS ROBERT (L. CLINE United States Patent EASEL BINDER FOR PAGES READING 0N LINES PARALLEL THE BINDDIG Clarence L. Wiands, Robert C. Cline, and Robert G. Rose,

al of Saugerties, N.Y., assignors to F. L. Russell Corporation, Saugerties, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Oct. 11, 1961, Ser. No. 144,384

1 Claim. (Cl. 281-33) The invention herein disclosed relates to binders having incorporated therein an easel structure which can be raised to support the pages in an inclined position convenient for reading or display purposes.

Such a binder is illustrated in Patent No. 2,979,343, of April 11, 1961.

The objects of the present invention primarily are to provide a binder of this type which will be appropriate for holding and supporting pages which have been printed with the lines of reading in parallel relation to the binding, instead of in the usual way with the lines of printing at right angles to the binding edge.

Particularly it is a purpose of the invention to provide this new easel binder in a simple practical inexpensive form in which the easel can be quickly set up with the binding in a horizontal instead of in the usual vertical relation thus to support the sheets or leaves with the lines of printing running horizontally, ready for display on the easel.

The foregoing and other desirable objects have been accomplished by a novel form of construction in which there is provided an easel board hingedly connected with the back of the binder and adapted to lie flat against the back cover of the binder and which can be raised to an inclined sheet supporting position and in which relation it is maintained by automatically acting prop mechamsm.

Other desirable objects and further novel features thr ugh which the purposes of the invention are attained are set forth and will appear in the course of the following specification.

The drawings accompanying and forming part of the specification are illustrative of a present commercial embodiment of the invention. Structure however may be modified and changed as regards the immediate illustration, all within the true intent and scope of the invention as hereinafter defined and claimed.

FIG. 1 is an edge or end view of one of the new binders in normal closed condition.

FIG. 2 is a plan view, on a smaller scale, of the binder fully opened and showing how the reading matter is printed on lines parallel with the binding, the printed matter broken away and with broken lines indicating the automatic prop mechanism for supporting the easel board in the inclined reading position.

FIG. 3 is a front view showing the binder opened up and the easel board raised and supporting the pages in reading position, broken lines indicating the prop mechanism.

FIG. 4 is an end view of the parts as appearing in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a back view of the same, particularly showing the prop mechanism.

FIG. 6 is an end view showing the binder inverted to locate the binding at the top and in which relation the pages may be hung to either side, that is down over the then downwardly inclined front cover or over the downwardly inclined easel board.

FIG. 7 is a front view of the binder in use as in FIG. 6.

In the closed position, FIG. 1, the binder presents the appearance of an ordinary binder, with the binder metal 10 mounted on the back 11 to which the front and back covers 12, 13 are hinged respectively at 14 and 15.

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Additionally however this binder carries a flat easel board 16 hingedly connected to the back 11 at 17 on substantially the same hinging axis 15 as the back cover 13.

This construction enables the easel board 16, which may be of thin flat stiff material, to lie closely against the back cover where it does no objectionably take up any room or add bulk to the binder.

The bound pages, which in this case are printed with lines running lengthwise of the page and thus parallel with the binding edge, are indicated at 18.

When the binder is opened, as in FIG. 2, the reading matter will thus extend vertically requiring that the binder be turned around into the FIG. 3 position with the binding disposed in the horizontal relation there shown.

FIG. 4 shows how when the binding edge is disposed horizontally, at the bottom, the easel board 16 may be lifted to an inclined position suitable for supporting the lengthwise reading pages 18.

In this inclined reading position the easel board is supported by props 19 of generally triangular shape hinged to this board on substantially vertical parallel lines 20, FIGS. 3 and 5, so as to swing back into supporting position on the back cover 13.

Desirably these triangular props may be cut out of the easel board, leaving triangular openings 21 into which they will fold when the easel board is lowered.

The lower edges of the triangular props are shown as angular at 22, FIG. 4, to firmly meet the back cover and the rearward edges are shown as bound with strips 23 of metal or the like to stiffen and prevent the props from bending or collapsing in any rough or unusual handling of the binder.

The props are automatically extended to support the easel board, when this board is raised, by a tapelike connection 24 shown connected at its ends at 25 with the props and slidingly engaged at its intermediate portion beneath a spring clip 26 fastened on the back cover. This spring clip serves to tension the tape and hold it taut in various inclined positions of the easel board, enabling this board to stand at different angles of inclination. This spring clip also holds the tape flat in the folded position of the parts.

The easel props 19 are automatically extended into supporting position simply by lifting the easel board 16 and they may be retracted to lower the board by reaching the fingers in back of the board and collapsing the props into the receiving openings 21. In this rest position the props do not add any thickness or bulk to the board or binder.

FIG. 6 shows how the binder as a whole may be inverted to locate the binding 10 at the top with the pages free to be swung in either direction down over the in clined front cover at one side and the inclined easel board at the opposite side.

The spring tensioned tape connection slidingly connected with the base structure serves to equalize pull on the two props and to draw them out to substantially the same extent.

The binder has many uses and may be used in various positions, some of which have been illustrated, to suit diiferent conditions or requirements.

At times it may be desired to leave the binder set up as in FIG. 4, in which event the front cover 12 may be turned up over the leaves supported on the easel board as a protective measure.

What is claimed is:

An easel binder which can be reversed to locate the binding in horizontal position at the top or at the bottom of the binder, to support bound leaves either hanging down from the binding or turned up away from the bind ing, said binder comprising a back,

7 front and back covers hingedly connected with said back by reversible hinges enabling said covers to be hinged in reverse directions to positions in front of or behind said back,

'a binding mounted on said back between the hinge said easel board being hinged to said back along its inner edge at the hinge connection of the back cover to'thereby lie fiat against the inside of the back cover when the binder is closed with the covers hinged to closed position overlying and in front of the binding, and free to be lifted to an upwardly inclined position over the back cover when the binder is opened in position with the back and the binding thereon at the bottom in' horizontal relation, so that the bound pages in the binding may be raised from a horizontal position overlying the front cover to an upwardly inclined reading position on' the upwardly inclined easel board,

props of thin flat stifi sheet material similar to said easel board and hingedly connected to said board on spaced parallel lines extending at right angles to said back and the binding thereon, whereby to hinge away from the back and the binding at right angles thereto into positions over and in engagement with the back cover to support the board in upwardly inclined relation over the back cover,

a clip on the back cover between said props,

a tape slidingly engaged beneath said clip and connected at its ends with said props to automatically pull the props to a substantially equal extent into position extending from the board over the back cover when the easel board is raised,and

said props being held extended by said tape into position spacing the easel board from the back cover so that said board and back cover held in said spaced relation will support the back along one edge in raised position at the top of the binder, with the opposite edge supported by the front cover in reversed relation of the covers extending behind the back.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PA ENTS 1,912,735 Stein June 6, 1933 2,617,665 Erickson Nov. 11, 1952 2,979,343 Cline et al. Apr. 11, 1961 

